Oregon's Best State Parks: Lite

Natural beauty with a low degree of difficulty, from pet-friendly yurts to deluxe cabins on the coast.

Tumalo State Park

Drive time: 3½ hours

Bend poses many dilemmas. Coffee shop, or wilderness? Shop, or paddleboard? At least outdoor lodging is a no-brainer. Tumalo State Park stretches idyllically along the Deschutes River just north of town. The campsites are hot commodities, some nestled riverside, others perched on the juniper-clad bluff. But the park’s serpentine trails are rarely crowded, and the solar showers give you a few morning minutes to weigh your other options.

Best site Everyone covets the yurts. Among standard campsites, grab shady A85.

Cape Lookout State Park

Drive time: 2 hours

Despite easy access to 101, Cape Lookout’s deluxe cabins (BYO bedding, food, and dishes) are worlds onto themselves. Perched in woods overlooking the sea, they’re close enough to the nearby bucolic campgrounds for easy visiting, far enough away for privacy. Hang on the porch as a salt breeze plays through the conifers, or take off for adventure on the panoramic Cape Lookout trail. Welcome to the ocean-view home you can finally afford.

Cove Palisades State Park

Drive time: 3 hours

If your idea of fun involves water and engines, this destination is de rigueur. This massive, aqua-centric outdoor paradise—where basalt walls and stone hoodoos tower spectacularly over shimmering water—sprawls across the Deschutes and Crooked River arms of 4,000-acre Lake Billy Chinook. Water toys rule, from Jet Skis to houseboats; on-site Cove Palisades Marina offers rental craft of every description. Feeling waterlogged? Check out the Crooked River petroglyphs and hike scenic interpretive trails instead.

Best site Camping may not be The Art of War, but the high ground still has its perks—including commanding views. Grab C30 or C32 in Deschutes Campground.